Grease gun



Nov. 20, 1928. L 1,692,319 o. zERK, Now BY JUDICIAL CHANGE oF NAME o. u.AZERK GREASE GUN FiledMay 25. 1921 Will/Evil),

/ 2f/ff @76M JKM/f@ ,ZTOJEM Patented Nov. 20, 1928.

UNITED STATES y 1,692,319 rrsnr ori-ucc. j 1

OSCAR ZERK, NOW BY JUDICIAL CHANGE OF NAME OSCAR ULYSSES ZERR, -O CLEVE-LAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO ALEMITE MANUFACTURING-CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE. i

GREASE GUN.

Application led May 25, ,1921

My invention relates to a lubricant compresser of the type whereinpressure is created on the grease by means of a piston so as tofacilitate the feeding of the grease to i grease cups and the like.

One object of my invention is to provide improved means for gettingaccess to nipples in out of the way places with a compressor of thecontinuous pressure type.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of a compressor of thecontinuous pressure type with a coupling member having automatic shutoff means whereby the loss of grease is prevented when the coupling isdis- 15 connected from the nipples.

Further objects of the invention will be apparent inthe course of thefollowing description and features of novelty will be pointed out in theclaims.

In the drawings .which represent a preferred embodiment of my invention,Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through a compressor and coupling; Fig.2 is a view of the compressor taken on line 2-2 of Fig. v1; and Fig. 3is a plan view looking down from the top of the cut-olf valve; Fig. 4 isa fragmentary view showing pressure indicating means which may beemployed.

T he' device as illustrated comprises a compressor barrel consisting ofthe members. and 11, the member 10 being the grease retaining member. lprefer to Hare the upper end of this member ahd provide it with interiorthreads for receivinggthe threads of the member-l1. The object ofproviding the fiare is to enable the ready filling of the compressoraccording to the method set out in my co-pending application, Serial#452,128, filed March 14th, 1921;

The member 11 may be provided with an opening adapted to .receive asleeve 12 carrying a stud shaftl therein, this shaft being shown asconnected at its outer end with a suitable handle 14, and having at itsinner end a pinion 15 adapted to mesh with the gear 16, also within themember 11. An angle member 17, having an inwardly projectin portion, maybe vsecured to the wall mem er 11 and serves as a means for preventingdisplacement of the gear member 16. 1

The' upper end of the member 11 is shown as provided with a threadedboss adapted to receive the tubular nut which has an exy terior threadfor engagement with the boss,

Serial No. 472,482.

and is interiorly threaded to receive a` sleeve or hollow stem 21. Iprefer to make this latter member in the form as shown in Fig. 2, thatis, it consists of a sleeve member in the form of an imperfectly close-dtube, so that it has a longitudinal slot 22 throughout its extent. Thismakes a cheap construction because in the making of tubular products themetal isl often brought to this shape in the course of manufacture.

The gear member 16 surrounds the tubular mem'ber 21 and has a projectingportion eX- tendmg into the slot 22 whereby the gear 16 is featheredupon the sleeve 21.

At its .lower end, the sleeve 21 carries a follower comprising anabutment member 26 and a ring 24. These members serve as an` abutmentfor one end of a spring 25. I prefer to provide the upper end of sleeve21 with a stop member to prevent the moving of this member too far intothe compressor. As shown, this stop comprises the nut 27held in positionthereon by a pin 28.

A convenient method of accomplishing the connection between member 26and the sleeve 21 consists in providing interior threads on thc member26 engaging with the threads on the sleeve 21, and locking the twomembers together by means of a pin 23 extending into registeringopenings on the two members. On its upper end, member 26 is providedwith an annular fiange forming a shoulder adapted to receive the ring 24which serves as an abutment for one end of the helical spring 25. Thespring is preferably fiattened at its ends so as to insure engagementaround a substantial portion of the ring so as Ato prevent cantingthereof. At its lower end the spring bears in a similar manner on apiston 30.

The piston 3() may be of any approved type. As illustrated it c onsistsof upper and lower metal plates holding a leather washer between them. Acentral stem or pin 31 passes through these members and has at its upperend a shoulder engaging the upper plate and is threaded on its lower endto recelve a nut 32 whereby the members may be clamped together.

Swiveled about the stem above the upper plate is a cup member33 whichVserves as a guide means for the spring.` Secured to the piston I alsoprovide a graduated stem 34 which extends upwardly through the openingin the sleeve 21 and may have secured on its upper end a nut 35 servingas a stop to limit the inward motion of the stem. I prefer to make theconnection between the piston and the stem 34 of a yieldable nature sothat a slight canting of the piston or disalignment thereof with thestem will not cause distortion of the stem, and for this purpose I haveshown a ball socket 36 formed on the upper portion ofthe member 31 andreceiving the spherical end 37 of the stem 34.

The member 10 is provided with a means for connecting it to a couplingmember which is shown as comprising a threaded boss receiving the pipeconnection 40, which in turn is connected by means of an elbow andswivel joint 41 to the elbow member 42, This member has a threaded sideopening to receive the stem of the swivelled member, and alignedlongitudinal openings, one of these being threaded to receive the nippleof a self-sealing coupling or the like 43, adapted to be placed upon agrease cup and to have a quick detachable sealed communicationtherewith. This quick detachable coupling member may be of any approvedform, though I prefer to employ a self-sealing coupling such as isshown, described and claimed in my co-pending application, Serial#452,127, filed March 14th, 1921.

The end of the nipple of member 43 may have a flat face on which aleather washer 44 is seated. This washer after insertion will be`retained in position suficiently by means of the threads on member 42,and the pressure of the grease will also tend to hold this member inplace.

The other opening in member 42 carries threaded therein a tubular nut47, which is interiorly threaded to 4receive the enlarged threadedportion of a stem 46, which has its inner end spherical and seated inthe ball socket of a valve member 45 adapted to fit against the Washer44.

Pinned on the outer end of this stem, I provide an operating handlewhich is herein shown in the form of a star wheel 48. A spring49connected to the star wheel and to nut. 47 tends to holdthe stem inposition to close the valve.l When pressure is created within thecompressor chamber and the coupling 43 has been placed in position on agrease cup nipple or the like, the operator turns the star wheel aquarter revolution, which serves to raise the valve 45 from its seat andto allow the passage of lubricant from the gun. When the nipple has beenfilled, the operator releases the star wheel and the spring 49 returnsthe valve member to seated position. -The provision of a ball connection insures complete seating of the valve member 45 because it canrest squarely thereon and there is no strain transmitted to the stemmember.

In operation it will be seen that if theeemand compress spring 25.

presser has been filled, the operator by turning the handle 14 may causethe follower, together with its sleeve 2l, to move downward It will benoticed that the motion of the follower and sleeve 21 is the same sincethese members are pinned together, and therefore this action tending tocompress the springcauses a motion between the sleeve 21 and stem 34 sothat a portion of this stem will now extend beyond the sleeve and willindicate the amount of pressure being exerted upon the grease. The .nut35, however, has its position determined by the grease in the compressorand therefore the amount by which the stem 34 extends above the nut 2()will indicate the amount ot grease remaining in the compressor.

Applicant has therefore provided a very convenient indicating deviceshowing at all times the exact condition existing in the grease chamber.The ball and socket connection shown between the piston and stemprevents any canting ofthe piston from tending to distort the stem orany disalignment of the stem from canting the piston.

The applicant has furthermore provided by means of his automaticshut-olf valve an arrange-ment which insures against waste of grease.

While I consider the arrangement of the pressure indicator as abovedescribed and shown in Fig. 1,y as very satisfactory, there are manyother arrangements falling 4within the scope of my invention and I haveillustrated in Fig. 4, by way of example one such arrangement. As shownin Fig. 4, a tubular member 50 is inserted in one end of the elbow 41.This member carries a stem 51 having a piston 52 on the end thereof. Aspring 53 may be employed to force the-piston inwardly, and the stem, ifdesired, may be graduated. The pressure ofthe grease acting upon thepiston will force the stem outwardly against theaction of the spring53,thereby indicating the pressure. Where. this pressure arrangement,herein indicated is employed, it will be unnecessary to` provide thepressure indication as shown in Fig. 1, although the two n iay be usedif desired.

lVhile I have described a specific embodiment of `my invention, it isapparent that many changes might be made therein, and the description istherefore to be taken as illustrative of a particular embodiment of theinvention rather than restrictive of the character and scope of theinvention.

Having thus described my invention. Iv

claim:

1. A portable lubricant compressor having -means for maintainingpressure on a contained body of lubricant, a rigid discharge tube,swiveled coupling means and a control valve at the outer end of saidtube, resilient means normally holding said valve closed` and manualmeans at the outer end of Said grease gun of the character described,

the combination of a gun barrel having the discharge end thereof securedto cou-- pling means, a swlvel-member supporting said coupling means andengaging-said end of the gun, said swivel member having a passagewayaffording communication between the gun barrel and the discharge mouthof the coupling means, and valve means for closing said passa ewacomprising a valve stem mounted in a t rea ed aperture formed in theswivel head. l

3. A lubricant coupling comprising a valve chamber having a valve seatdefining an outlet for said chamber, means for making a quick detachableconnection with a lubricant receiving element, said means communicatingwith said chamber through said outlet, a valve for closing said outlet,a valve stem extending outside said valve chamber and in axial alignmentwith said connecting means, said valve stem being threaded in the wallof said chamber, and a torsion spring tending to rotate said stem andclose said valve.

In testimony whereof, I' hereunto afiix my signature. i

OSCAR ZER'K.

